, 1887-01-08
A NIGHT IN A JUNGLE.

,
A NlGHl In \ u MULE.
While lying in camp u fine opportunity
was given me To observe from a single
standpoint the characteristics Of the
rhinoccros, the tiger and "a snake OF an
other species. We had our camp in II VII
lnge which was half deserted on account
uf the proximity Of "A bad rhinoceros and
two or three man eating tigers. \ bad
rhinoceros. it may be explained, is the
same thing as II bad elephant. II is one
that has lost in a fair fight his leadership
and IS driven away in disgrace. The
rhinoceros isn't social like the elephant
and seldom more than two are found 10
gether Once in IA while some old chap
gets 81 ugly that there is no living with
him and he Is deserted until the spell
passes Of. While bud he VIII fight any
thing that walks flies or swims and in his
blind fury he Will charge thicketa 7 soon
~ IL moving object.
About IA mile from the Nlllhgc anu
reached by Il path through the forest was
a pool at which many oi the VIA animals
came 10 Stake their thirst. We went over
one morning ana built II platform Tor n
of Us TO stand ON IN the branches Oh cor.
Ncnient tree, ana then hunted ABOUT uhtl
we iound places Tor my TWO companions
on paths winch were beaten nara uhuer
the feet of thousands OF animals III was
IN the dry season ana the pohd "aF9oW-
Therefore II might be expected thaitne
pool would he Sought out ny ahiihhis
from n great distance No'hlhs "i nc
count came To IL IN the dhy tlinr, as eNpe
rience had iaught US. II u ohly ui'er
TINT elephants the rhiho'erosi
lions, tigers panihers- ana such beasts,
approach n pool 10 drink, e'peclnlly II IL
is in u hidden place 10 doubt some Oh
them ma 10 TWO or three Jays without
water, but the hunter VINO taxes MS stahu
at a pool Is nlWhN- certain "i plR game oi
some sort.
We set out Tor our stations noou, an
hour before suhuo"n' each OF us htNlnH
"A native attendant to remain througl the
night Just before we reached the po"l,
and while my man was troi'lhS Along u
few feet ahead oi me a JhBuhr Ieapeu
down upon HIM from IA limb WIN u louu
scream. The beast rather overshot ms
mnrk, but clawed the man shoulder
severely. Inc native uttered shouis OF
terror ANA nred n sho when missed
the beast, ana he licked MS chops nj Inc
The man could not go ON with me. ne
was severely huri ana IN great pam anu
told MN 10 run paek 4" thc village ior
treatment ana send out another man ne
was on ut one ana kept me pain uhtii
reaching Inc pool ana then lost no tllhe
IN ascending 10 tine s'All"lu. ! hhl IL
heavy rine alu plenty OF cartridges ana III
my belt Inc hunting khlie usually cur
rled. III was ohly When rehuy 10 uscehu
the PLATFORM thnt discovered the absence
"i my PAR OF 'oltS win thelf poWher hlu
bullets Those things ma heen lntruSted
To my servant, and he had been IN such II
hurry 10 return 10 the village that he han
carried them OH with MIN Just lhth'
however, the loss oi the pistols W not
seem OF much account TO me. climbed
the PLATFORM pulled my gun up AFTER me
and pretty soon began 10 listen Tor the
hhllo0 "i the man VINO would DE sent out
10 stay WIN me. hnd reason 10 expect
NM before torthe Instance was
not great ana the natives move rapidly on
IN 'rrhnd' mi the red ORR disappeared,
the shadows nl evening irll ana heHr"
nothing "l MIN. knew theh thht ne
would not come nj all, ASH would be risk
ing ms lie I" enter the jungle after sun
down
Inc pool was IN the center oil IA Gle ired
space about hali an acre in extent and
The round was uneven As there was
NO such lhing rs Il creek or rivulet i'll the
neighborhood the pool must have been
formed by "A spring which dubbed up
among tln rocks. Darkness hHd scarcely
come when the moon came up to make
the cleared space almost as light as day
II about the same time he wild beasts
bttslu 10 move ABOUT. | toNlu near them
snarllng and growing on all sides and
located II Jnguar In IA tree not lar rcinoVed
from nine by ms continued snarlins a,
something IN the Jungle. moved about
TO get II better look and suddenly lost my
grasp on the II ana mad the mortihca
tion oil hearing II STRIKE II ground belo"
win he"Vy crash My iuea was To ge'
possession OF ~ aghlh hs soon us possible
anu l hhu uescehueu ut least hali way
wheh 'here was n sharl from the roots OF
the tree "hlch rough my muir ON emu
Snlz the presence Oh ige Wh'
hight nave Deeh waiting 'here Tor iv'
INT ior All knew AS hurrie'
nhck 10 my perch hearu ms shnrp cltW'
tearing AT the DARK ana was truly thank
iui Tor the knowledge thht ne coulu no
cLhlp' As reached my pcIch urew III.
hhile Ms .he uhiy weapon lelt me hnu TN
tlger ieeHng thht l hhu escaped MN To-
the moment, walked OUT INTO the moon
llBhl WIN uehper"'e step looked up u
me Win 10" Rro"l' anu men stoou II
the cage OF the pool ana tapped thr water
ne was engaged ht TINS Wheh heurd
louu wooll from the Jungle anu I'M
heNt ihst"h, IL rhlhocerps broke coNer"h.
came NJ we tger win II rusi
'hht "oulu hhNe hn"okeu uoWh II stoh'